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Braves beat Orioles, end 4-game losing streak

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz, right, tags out Atlanta Braves' Matt Diaz along the third base line during a game Friday night in Atlanta. The Braves won, 4-2.

By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — Rookie Andrelton Simmons made amends for his first career error by hitting a two-run, go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat Baltimore, 4-2, on Friday night to end the Orioles' five-game winning streak. Brian McCann's first-inning homer off Brian Matusz (5-7) gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Orioles scored two runs off Tommy Hanson in the fourth with help from a throwing error by Simmons at shortstop and a fielding error by Michael Bourn in center field. Chad Durbin (3-0) struck out the two batters he faced after taking over for Hanson in the sixth. The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak. Matusz fell to 0-6 in seven career interleague starts. He gave up four runs, nine hits and three walks in 5 2-3 innings. The Orioles began the night one-half game behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. New York beat Washington, 7-2. Simmons had three hits. Kris Medlen, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, gave up one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings to set up closer Craig Kimbrel, who pitched the ninth for his 19th save. The Orioles hit into four double plays to boost their total to 72, the most in the major leagues. Matt Wieters' grounder to Simmons with the bases loaded in the third started an inning-ending double play. Pinch-hitter Nick Johnson hit into a double play to end the game. Hanson showed his frequent disagreement with home plate umpire Derryl Cousins' strike zone as he set a career-high with six walks in 5 1/3 innings. Hanson gave up four hits and two unearned runs. He was pulled after consecutive walks in the sixth. He took a look at Cousins as he walked off the field. The Braves made several strong defensive plays in the game, but the defense let Hanson down with two errors in the fourth. Simmons threw high to first after fielding Mark Reynolds' grounder. Reynolds scored as Bourn bobbled Wilson Betemit's double in center, allowing Reynolds to score from first and Betemit to advance to third. It also was Bourn's first error. Betemit scored, barely beating right fielder Jason Heyward's throw to the plate, on Steve Pearce's fly ball. Betemit, who began his career with the Braves, had two hits. Simmons' homer, which landed in the first row of the stands in left, drove in Matt Diaz, who singled, to give Atlanta a 3-2 lead. It was the second homer for Simmons, who made his debut on June 2. Pinch-hitter Jack Wilson followed with a triple to center and he scored on Bourn's soft single up the middle.

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